


Think For Yourself

by smittenwithsugden



Series: Robert Week 2017 [6]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Canon Rewrite, M/M, Robert Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-23 08:02:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11985624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenwithsugden/pseuds/smittenwithsugden
Summary: Robert Week 2017 - Day 6 - Write a scene, the way you wished it had gone.





	Think For Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> Every title for all of my fics for Robert Week are song titles from the album "Rubber Soul" by The Beatles.
> 
> Huge thanks to Laura and Carla for organising this week and to Zo'e and the rest of the bubble for being my cheerleaders.

"Right, come on. What's really going on?" Aaron asked, and Robert's face fell.

He had hoped he had been able to hide it better.

“What?” he asked. “Is it that obvious?”

Aaron nodded, his expression still very worried.

“I didn’t wanna worry you… or Liv,” Robert said. “Not until I had to.”

And for some reason, he saw a shift in Aaron then and there, like he had decided something.

“You are worrying me now,” he said. “Have they charged you or what?”

“Not yet, no. Ryan's given a statement. He's told them everything. If they can make this stick, I could go down for it,” Robert said.

Aaron drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

“That’s not gonna happen,” he said. “Listen, we will fight this together.”

Robert looked at him, reaching over to touch his arm. “Thank you,” he said.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Aaron said and shifted. “I need to tell you something, but please promise me you won’t have a go.”

“Now for some reason that doesn’t sound very promising,” Robert said. “What happened?”

“I know why Ryan decided to go to the police,” Aaron said.

“What?” Robert asked surprised. “How?”

“Because he got offered a lot of money,” Aaron said, biting his lip, pulling at his sleeves. “It was Liv.”

“What the hell?” Robert exclaimed and jumped up. “Why would she do something like that? Oh no, don’t bother, I can guess why. She wanted me out of the way?”

“No,” Aaron said quickly. “Well, maybe yes, but she is really regretting it.”

“No,” Robert snapped. “That is not an excuse! This is unbelievable.”

“Listen, let’s talk about this, okay? I already told her off, she really is sorry, but you're right. This is a big no-go. I'll get her, and we can talk.”

And before Robert could protest Aaron opened the door to the staircase, just wanting to yell out her name when he saw her sitting there on the steps.

“Get in here,” he said instead.

Liv got up, reluctantly, but knowing there was no way out of it.

She came in after Aaron, stopped right by the door.

Robert looked at her, eyebrows raised, waiting.

“I…I didn’t know you would start being nice to me,” she said feebly.

“Oh right,” Robert said, nodding slowly. “And everybody who is not nice to you belongs in prison, right?”

“No,” she said slowly. “But you actually did this, so….”

“No,” Aaron cut her off. “I told you he’s done it to protect me. You are not gonna throw that in his face.”

If Robert hadn't been so mad right now, he would have allowed the warm feeling inside him after hearing Aaron’s words to take over. But as of right now, he was still just mad.

“How much?” Robert asked Liv.

“How much what?” Liv asked back.

“Don’t play dumb, how much did you promise him?” Robert asked.

“Fifty thousand,” she said quietly.

“Fifty thousand?” Robert yelled. “Jesus Christ, do you know how much money that is? I mean, I knew you were messed up, but this is next level shit! I never thought you were that vicious!”

The moment the words spilled out of Robert's mouth he knew he went too far. Liv's face fell, and she leaned back against the door.

“Shit, Liv, I’m sorry,” Robert said before Aaron could chastise him for his outburst. “I’m just….”

He sat down on one of the kitchen chairs with a sigh.

“Do you really hate me that much that you’re willing to pay fifty grand to get rid of me?” he asked, his voice sounding defeated now.

Liv looked embarrassed and tugged at her sleeves. “At that moment,” she said slowly. “I thought, I did.”

Robert’s face fell, his gaze going away from Liv and to the ground. He looked broken now, fallen in on himself. It took Aaron two steps to reach him, putting his hand on Robert’s back.

“Don’t even think about it,” Aaron said in a low voice.

Robert looked up at him and shrugged his shoulder.

“But it makes sense,” he said, voice almost breaking.

“Not for me, it doesn’t,” Aaron said.

Liv was confused. One minute Robert was yelling at her, rightfully so, and the next he looked like a little boy, afraid of being punished. But Aaron seemed to know. Aaron seemed to get it.

"You're both better off without me," Robert said, and now Liv got it.

She walked up to them, slowly but surely.

"No, we wouldn't," she said slowly. "I'm sorry. You were right; I was messed up. But the three of us together are a force to be reckoned with, right?”

Robert drew in a breath and then a shudder escaped him.

“You mean it?” he asked.

And instead of a response Liv stood next to Robert, opposite Aaron and put her arm around his back as well.

“I might go to prison,” Robert said quietly.

“No, you’re not,” Liv said.

“We got your back,” Aaron said.


End file.
